KSBA associate exec appointed to state school facilities construction panel

Gov. Steve Beshear has appointed KSBA Associate Executive Director David Baird to the eight-member Kentucky School Facilities Construction Commission. Baird’s appointment was one of several education-related actions recently made by the governor.

The SFCC, part of the state Finance and Administration Cabinet, assists local school districts with school facility construction and technology funding. It distributes state funds to eligible districts certified by the Kentucky Board of Education. The commission issues bonds in its name and enters lease agreements with local boards of education to finance construction of new facilities and major renovation of existing facilities. It is responsible for allocating General Assembly appropriations for the financing of construction and implementation of technology on a timely and objective basis.

The SFCC also assists local school districts to conduct bond sales for timely and accurate debt service payments. It ensures that local school districts receive and match the state contributions for technology.

Baird has been KSBA’s associate executive director for five years and has spent more than 30 years in education, including 16 years as superintendent of the Eminence Independent Schools.

Joining Baird on the SFCC also as newly appointed members are:

Vearl Pennington, former Bath County school board member and KSBA regional chairman

Ralph Hoskins, retired Jackson County Schools superintendent

Don Cecil, retired Magoffin County Schools superintendent

James E. Parsons, an attorney and adjunct professor at Northern Kentucky University

All are appointed to four year terms with the exception of Parsons, who fills an unexpired term through 2012.

Other K-12 related appointments

Beshear also recently made several appointments to the state Educational Professional Standards Board. They are:

Allen Kennedy, a member of the Hancock County Board of Education and a director-at-large on the KSBA Board of Directors